


The Gardens of Our Voices

by shadowfaerieammy



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, but only a little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24626899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowfaerieammy/pseuds/shadowfaerieammy
Summary: In a society where you sprout flowers from your lungs starting when you meet your soulmate, most people try to form the bond quickly, so that the Wilt may begin and the flowers may fade.Bitty would love to, if he knew who his soulmate was.And Jack, well, he just needs some time.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 9
Kudos: 148
Collections: OMGCP Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the art that inspired this fic! It's super pretty so go check it out!  
> https://pieandpucks.tumblr.com/post/620513906627133440/the-gardens-of-our-voices-chapter-1
> 
> This story is told in alternating third person limited, switching between Jack and Bitty. Jacks POV is denoted by a pair of crossed hockey sticks _X_ and Bitty's is denoted by a heart <3\. Each chapter starts and ends with Jack.

_X_

The flowers never came when Jack was with Kenny. It was a disappointment, but not a surprise. With the way Kenny always kept them behind closed doors and around dark corners, Jack was almost glad that petals never began to spew from his lips.

You have up to twenty-four hours after you meet your soulmate before the Bloom begins.

A single blossom signifies the start. After that, it's subtle at first, the occasional petal. It progresses slowly to torture you with the gift of time. The sooner you achieve Realization, the sooner the Bloom shifts into the Wilt. As soon as you and your soulmate acknowledge to each other that you are soulmates, the flowers inside you wilt away and soon the cough ends completely. Many are lucky enough to achieve realization before enough years pass for the cough to progress from individual petals to full blossoms.

It is Jack's junior year of college when the first petal falls from his lips, and he knows immediately who his soulmate is.

It's an easy guess. Only the student athletes are on campus this early before the start of the semester, and Jack likes to keep to himself. He's hardly met anyone in the past twenty-four hours. The only new faces in his life that he can pinpoint are the new recruits for the hockey team. Ollie and Wicks are very vocal about their fate, so it can't be one of them.

Then there's Eric Bittle. Bitty. He's small and lean, compact in a way that is perfect for skating at impressive speeds. His Southern accent and Georgian origin are the perfect explanation for the peach blossom he coughs into the bathroom sink in the middle of the night, when everyone is hopefully too far gone in their sleep to hear him.

He had a lot of spare time when he was in the hospital. There wasn't much to do aside from read. He can identify dozens of flowers on sight and the peach blossom is immediately recognizable to him.

Jack knows immediately that Bitty is his soulmate, and he chooses to say nothing.

<3

Bitty has no idea who his soulmate is when the odd taste of a flower sticks in his mouth. He spits it out, wet and wilted. It takes a fair amount of googling and use of a soulmate flower app to figure out that the flower is a Canadian Echinacea. It'd be a pretty thing if it hadn't magically crawled its way up from Bitty's throat into his mouth.

He met so many people today during his first day. During the original tour, he only met a handful of people, so he can count those out, but there's still the rest of the team. Plus he went to the campus coffee shop Annie's for a pick-me-up in the afternoon and the student bookstore to pick up his textbooks. In one day, he ran into at least a dozen people. It doesn't help that, for the soulmate connections to spark, you only need to be within a six-foot radius of one another. He could have met his soulmate in passing, going opposite ways through the coffee shop door. His soulmate could be a random person he passed without noticing, leaving him no way to find them. The flower you grow tells you a bit about the person, but it doesn't always tell you enough.

Canadian Echinacea could mean any of things. On that first night, he researches as much as he can on the flower. In short, it seems to represent building a strong sense of self while overcoming past trauma. That's not the kind of thing he'll find out about a person immediately, the horrible things they've been through and the person they've become. He wishes it told him more.

But he has pies to bake and a dorm to decorate so there's no time to worry about this. It's bound to work itself out. This is his soulmate after all, they're fated to be together.

_X_

Jack doesn't understand why the universe gave him this boy. Eric Bittle is the opposite of everything Jack believes in; he's a cowardly procrastinator that can't take a check. Being cute isn't enough to make Jack fall in love with him, even though Jack does admit that Bittle is attractive. Bittle needs to be more than that for Jack to fall in love with him, and he doesn't see Bittle making that much progress any time soon.

<3

Bitty doesn't make any progress on figuring out his potential soulmate for weeks. The only progress he makes is the slowly rising number of petals showing up in his mouth. He's lucky the process is slow and that the coughing hasn't started yet.

He doesn't know who his soulmate is or how to find him. All he knows is that his first semester of college is stressful enough without the weight of finding his soulmate crushing down on his shoulders.

_X_

Eventually, Jack gets tired of waiting. He's never been the patient type despite appearances. For him to like Eric Bittle, Bittle needs to make progress as a player. Jack has only seen Bittle as the player that can't handle the pressure of contact. It's such a frustrating thing for Jack that he can't look past it.

That's how he gets the idea for checking practice.

Of course he'd like to not be up at 4am when he could instead be enjoying some sleep, but he'll sacrifice a few hours of sleep a week if it means connecting with the soulmate that will hopefully be by his side for the rest of his life. Once Bittle learns how to take a check, maybe even give one of his own, then Jack might be able to look past that flaw at the rest of Eric Bittle.

<3

Eric is not made for waking up at 4am, which is a shame since that's when he'll probably need to be up regularly if he ends up working in a bakery one day. He isn't sure what he wants to do with the rest of his life, but he has the next four years to figure it out.

For now, he needs to focus on checking practice. He doesn't like waking up before the sun, and he does not like starting his mornings being physically assaulted by his large, stoic captain. It's worth it, though, the first time he takes a check without flinching. He gets caught up in the emotion and almost hugs Jack, but a sudden tearing cough stops him and he turns away to cough into his elbow.

"Soulmate flowers?" Jack asks gently, approaching to put a comforting hand on Bitty's back.

Bitty quickly shakes his head and checks for petals. Thankfully, none fell from his mouth when he coughed. He can tolerate the taste and feel of the petals tucked into his cheeks and under his tongue long enough to make an excuse and get out of here. "I haven't drank anything yet this morning. My throat's just dry. No need to worry." He excuses himself and scrambles off the ice to change and spit petals into the library bathroom sink as soon as he can escape.

He shouldn't feel ashamed about having a soulmate, but he's afraid people will ask questions. Who is she? Have you found her? Do you need help? What's your type? The more questions people ask, the harder it would be to hide the truth from them.

His type? Men.

And he's not ready for anyone to know that.

_X_

Jack knows that Bitty is lying. He was cradling a water bottle before they got on the ice, and Jack doubts it was just for decoration. Bitty lied to his face about the soulmate flowers. He wonders if it’s because Bitty knows and isn’t ready to say anything, like Jack, or if Bitty genuinely does not know that Jack is his soulmate.

Either way, Jack is glad he has more time. He’s not ready for that confrontation.


	2. Chapter 2

_X_

I’m fine, Jack tells himself when he gets off the phone. He’ll keep telling himself that he’s fine for as long as he needs to, for as long as Bittle is watching. Jack is his captain and showing any sign of weakness before a game isn’t an option. He’s fine, really.

Then Bittle makes the winning goal, and Jack should be proud of his teammate and excited for the win, but he’s not. His father can’t stop praising Bittle and it leaves a taste much more sour than flower petals in his mouth. Bittle has potential but he isn’t a good player; Jack is a much better hockey player. Bittle shouldn’t have been able to make the winning shot. Jack should have been able to make that shot himself. He should have won the game, not this rookie that barely has any experience on the ice.

He tries to shake the trembling anxiety, but he can't, much like how he can’t stop the petals pouring into his mouth.

“It was a lucky shot,” he tells his soulmate, walking away without looking back.

He throws up petals when he gets back to the Haus. Apparently the Bloom doesn’t approve of his attitude either.

<3

Ever since Bitty made the winning goal in the game against Yale, Jack has been acting cold, colder than his usual hockey robot self. Jack hates Bitty, that’s the only explanation for the glare he gives Bitty when they’re announced to be playing on the same line. As they play the game, Bitty can’t get that expression out of his head.

The coaches said Bitty makes Jack a better player. He plays the best game he can to try to prove them right.

_X_

Jack knows the way he’s treating Bittle isn’t fair. As his teammate, Jack should be proud of him, not tearing him down. The early season stress had been getting to him, like it always done, making him more irritable than he’d like to admit. Now that they’re a few games in, he doesn’t feel as heavy a weight pressing down on him.

It’s time to make up for his poor behavior. He needs to be a better captain, a better soulmate, and most importantly a better friend.

He stops glaring, for a start. He offers to continue checking practice. He even brings Bittle a drink from Annie’s one day, smart enough to forego an accompanying pastry.

“I’m sorry,” he tells Bittle, hoping his change in behavior will be enough to convince Bittle of his sincerity. Words have never been his strong point, and he has always believed that actions speak louder than words. Hopefully his recent actions speak the loudest.

<3

They won! With every new win, a euphoria builds in him that is unrivaled by anything else. With the help of his team, and especially his captain, Bitty is becoming a good player and earning his place on the team. He feels like he belongs here and that it’s not some fluke.

Jack has been kinder recently, and he even apologized for his crappy behavior at the beginning of the season. They’re finally getting along, really getting along, and Bitty considers him a tentative friend.

Things are going really well. They head to a bar after a game and the newscasters on the television recount their glorious win. It looks like it’ll be a glorious end of the day.

But then the newscasters start talking about Jack, and nothing they say makes any sense. Bitty doesn’t know much about Jack’s past, he knows better than to tip their tentative friendship by asking about the wound, but he knows the newscasters are talking bullshit. They’re acting as if Jack isn’t an amazing player, as if he’ll never live up to his father’s shadow when Jack is his own person and should be viewed as that. They talk like there’s something wrong with Jack.

They’re the ones that are wrong, and Bitty tells him that, but Jack storms away. A few petals fall out when he calls after him and Bitty’s almost glad that everyone is watching Jack because it gives him a chance to stuff the petals in his pocket before anyone else can notice.

He’s worried about Jack, but he doesn’t have the words to make things better, so he lets him go. Jack needs space, and Bitty needs to rinse his mouth of loose petals anyway.

_X_

Jack is okay. He refuses to let those newscasters, or anyone else, get to him right now. They’re in the middle of play-offs and he can’t afford any distractions. He believes in his team and himself.

That’s why he suggests the play. He knows it’s risky, but he believes in them.

“I've got your back,” he tells Bittle when Bittle admits that he’s afraid.

Bittle says okay and does as Jack says. Bittle trusts him, despite being so scared that he’s shaking.

Jack’s heart soars.

Then it plummets moments later because Bittle is in the air, flying over one of the opposing teams players, angled to fall head-first.

He falls.

The fact that he’s able to skate off the ice is a relief, but he seems dazed and Jack is certain that Bittle is walking out of here with a concussion.

Jack has to excuse himself to vomit petals and bile into the locker room toilet before he can return to the ice.

<3

Bitty feels like shit but he'll be fine, thankfully. No broken bones, no lost teeth, just a concussion. He’s not allowed on the ice for a while, which is disappointing, made only more so by their loss in the next game. Bitty doubts his presence on the ice would have been the deciding factor for their win or loss, but he wishes he could have been there with his teammates when it happened instead of waiting on the sidelines.

He trusts his team no matter what. One bad play isn’t going to change that.

So he votes for Jack to stay captain, just like everyone else. He knows that Jack’s name is going to be called when the time comes to reveal who has won captaincy for the following year.

His name being called first isn’t expected.

“This year we present the John Carlisle award for team spirit to Eric R. Bittle.”

Bitty stands slowly, not quite believing his ears. “Oh! Oh my goodness,” he says as everyone around him claps. He accepts the award with a bashful smile and returns to his seat, face flushed.

His team trusts him, too.

_X_

Jack is proud of the progress that Eric Bittle has made, and he doesn’t know how to say it. The only words he has are an apology, a thank you, and “Eat more protein.”

The apology is for a mistake that Jack made in using a strategy Bittle didn’t feel comfortable with.

The thank you is for Bittle believing in Jack when he hadn’t believed in himself.

“Eat more protein” is the only thing he can say right now that comes anywhere near expressing how much he appreciates Eric Bittle.

“You have a good summer too, Jack,” Bittle replies, leaning against the wall with the sunlight from the window shining over him.

Jack is finally realizing why the universe gave him this person, and he’s glad it did.


	3. Chapter 3

_X_

Jack likes to sleep, when his schedule allows it. Most of the year he doesn't get a chance to sleep in because of school and hockey practice, but he had plenty of time to sleep in during the summer and it is the last day he can do this before practices start. He's sprawled out on his bed in the Haus, curtains drawn, deep in slumber.

Then loud singing wakes him from his sleep, and his attitude can only be described as grumpy. Someone disrupted his sleep and he's not about to let them get away with it.

He storms over to the bathroom and opens the door, letting a cloud of steam pour out the door. The voice is louder, obviously Bitty's, and even his soulmate can't get away with this nonsense.

Jack tears open the curtain. Bitty screams, and Jack flinches at the shrill sound.

He's glad that Bitty feels comfortable here with the team and in the Haus, but he needs to shut up while people are trying to sleep. Jack has already sacrificed enough of his sleep to checking practice, and he's not going to unnecessarily sacrifice more.

<3

Bitty curls up on the ice shaking, terrified of the impending contact that never comes. He doesn't mean to drop at the brush of air when someone comes near him, but there's nothing he can do to stop it. His body reacts faster than his mind does, screaming danger.

The coaches tell him that he needs to get over his phobia of checking or they'll be forced to take him off the team. He understands, and he doesn't blame them for giving him the ultimatum, but it hurts the same. He goes outside and finds a quiet place to break down.

He's let his team down, and he's let himself down. They need him to be better than this.

He throws up behind the ice rink, leaving a gross puddle of flowers and spit and tears behind.

_X_

Jack believes in Bittle, but that's not the only reason they start up checking practice. He blames himself for that check Bitty took last semester. It was a risky play and he didn't have Bitty's back when he said he would. He's busy, but he'll make time for checking practice. He owes Bitty that.

And if it gives him a little extra time with his soulmate, he won't complain. Soon enough he'll be signing his life away to a professional team, so who knows how long they'll be able to stay close.

<3

When he found out there was a history class about food, Bitty knew he needed to get into the roster. It didn't matter that it was a class for seniors and he was only a sophomore; if food, then Bitty. A little bribery wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

He didn't know Jack was enrolled in the class, and he doesn't mind the extra time with his captain and friend. It's nice to spend time with him outside of hockey.

They make a pie together for their final project, Bitty helping the hopeless baker that Jack is, and Bitty revels in the comfort of being around Jack. There's this warmth that surrounds them, not just the heat from Betsy, like a heartfelt hug. It swaddles him like fresh peaches under a blanket of crust.

He's listening to Jack tell a story, flour on his face and dough in his hands, when he figures it out.

Jack is probably straight, though, and probably not his soulmate. He's heard about Jack's ex-girlfriend Camilla Collins, he knows Jack likes girls. He knows it's useless.

Never fall for a straight boy.

_X_

Kegsters, especially Epikegsters, are noisy and crowded. Jack doesn't like noisy or crowded places, so he usually skips out on the parties to stay in his room where it's substantially quieter and do something productive with his time.

This is the final Epikegster of his college career, though, so he decides to make an exception. He'd also like to for once see Bittle's extreme Epikegster dancing. The more he gets to know Bittle and look past his faults, the more he understands why the universe chose him as his soulmate. Eric, despite being terrified of checking and dangerously prone to procrastinating, is brave, determined, and loyal. He can't remember any of his French vocabulary outside of terms he can use for baking, but he is incredibly skilled in the kitchen. Jack would be surprised if there is a baking term that Bitty doesn't know.

He doesn't normally go to Epikegsters, but he goes to this one and makes a beeline for his soulmate. They get to chatting, and Jack tries his best to impress Bittle with the story of a past adventure. He knows he's showing off, but he's proud and aiming to impress. He even offers to take a selfie with Bittle, fully serious and in no way teasing him for his attachment to his phone.  
He'd be happy to have a photo of just the two of them together, even if it's taken in the middle of a sea of people.

"I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it myself," says a voice from nearby, a voice Jack recognizes instantly. "Jack Zimmerman. At a party. Taking a selfie."

He turns slowly, knowing who he will face but wishes he'd be mistaken. "Kent."

"Hey, Zimms. Didja miss me?"

He did not, in fact, miss him, but he plays Kent's game and acts amiable as he leads Kent away from Bittle. Kent shouldn't be here at all, but he definitely shouldn't be anywhere near Bittle. Jack leads Kent up to his room, past the caution tape sectioning off the upstairs. He closes the door behind them and steps back to create as much space between the two of them as he can.

Kent wants to talk. Jack does not want to listen, but he does anyway.

No, he doesn't know what team he's going to sign with. He really has no idea. Kent takes a few steps to close the gap between them, pushing forward into Jack's space. He's close enough to touch, and the thought makes Jack sick.

"Kenny, I can't do this," he tells this person that is supposed to be his friend.

Kent reaches a hand out to touch Jack's face, but Jack flinches back. "Jack, come on."

"No, I- uh," he mutters, trying to think of the right works to tell Kent to go away. He can't think right with him standing so close. "Kenny-"

Kent cuts him off, voice turning sharp. "Zimms, just fucking stop thinking for once and listen to me." He keeps talking, but Jack isn't listening. He can't listen with the overwhelming whooshing in his ears, his anxiety rising to dangerous levels.

"Get out."

They argue, like they always do when Kent decides to suddenly pop back into Jack's life. They fight because Kent can't accept that he doesn't have a place in Jack's life anymore. "I miss you," he says, and Jack knows better than to believe him by now.

He keeps pushing, and pushing, and Jack forces himself to finally push back.

"This team is my family," he tells Kent, voice raising. "I care about them. There are professional teams that want me to play for them, without any strings being pulled. I found my soulmate here. I'm not leaving all of this behind just because-"

Kent interrupts again, voice sour, "A soulmate, wow."

In an anxious, wobbly haze, Jack finds himself coughing uncontrollably, doubling over to vomit an acrid puddle of bile and peach blossoms onto his bedroom floor.

"Huh. Well, shit, okay." Kent stares at the pile of floral filth with disdain. He looks back up at Jack with the same disdain, expression nasty. "You know what, Zimmerman? You think you're too fucked up to care about? That you're not good enough?" He steps around the puddle and presses into Jack's space again, so close that his breath fans Jack's face when he huffs out a sigh. "Everyone already knows what you are, but it's people like me who still care." When he jabs a finger into Jack's chest, it's not hard enough to hurt but the touch burns. "You're scared everyone else is going to find out you're worthless, right? Oh, don't worry, just give it a few seasons, Jack. Trust me."

Jack is done letting Kent Parson push him around, in his own home. He gives Kent a shove to create enough space between them for Jack to breathe again.

"G-get out of my room," he says on a deep exhale, trying to not let his panic grab a hold of him.

"Fine, shut me out again." Kent takes a step back, moving mercifully towards the door.

"And stay...stay away from my team." Jack's voice is shaky, and so are his hands. He just needs to get Kent out the door and then he can breathe again.

"Why? Afraid I'll tell them something?" He's facing the door by now so Jack can't see the smug grin that he can hear in Kent's voice.

The image of that smile flashes in Jack's mind and he feels a twinge of panic in his chest. "Leave, Parse."

Kent opens the door, and Jack thinks he's finally free.

They don't expect anyone to be on the other side of the door, especially not Eric Bittle, crouched down with a key in his hand.

He doesn't listen to Kent's parting words. He looks one look at Bittle's confused face and slams the door, hoping Bittle hadn't seen the puddle that was lying at his feet, blossoms bright against the dark wood floor.


	4. Chapter 4

_X_

Jack doesn't know how to feel now that the final game of his college career is over. He'd hoped they'd make it to the end this year. He'd hoped he could do better.

What kind of professional hockey player will he be if he can't even lead his college team to victory?

When the others head back to the locker room, Jack branches off to find a nice quiet place to have his breakdown.

His college hockey career is over. Four years of practices and games with some of the most amazing people he knows, and now it's over.

He's not good with failure. He's learning that it's okay to fail sometimes and that it doesn't define him as a person, but it's hard. Learning can be a slow process. Logically, he knows the loss wasn't his fault alone, but that makes the weight no lighter on his shoulders. It will take some time to process the loss, hence the dark hallway he's branched off into to be alone.

Somehow, Bittle finds him. It doesn't make sense since Bittle should be with the team, but Jack is surprised to find he doesn't mind the company. Instead of adding weight, the arms Bittle puts around his shoulders take some of the burden away.

Jack tries to choke down a sob, and a flower makes its way up into his mouth. The flower, like Bittle's arms around him, feels more like a pleasant reminder than a burden.

No matter what his anxiety tries to tell him, he is not alone.

<3

It's cold on the roof, even with summer fast-approaching. Bitty is a Southern belle and even the New England spring feels like winter to him. He shivers where he sits wondering if it's really worth it

He look at the people around him, the friends he's made since starting at Samwell. Holster sits to his right, hands folded in his lap as he smiles at the fire. Ransom, Shitty and Lardo sit across from his talking about how weird Johnson was. Ransom looks the same as he always has, a friendly face no matter what. Lardo is wrapped up in a blanket with a purple beanie pulled over their hair, a hat that has been through so much more than any hat should. Shitty barely looks like himself now that he's gotten the chop, but he has the same smile that was the first thing Bitty saw of the Samwell Men's Hockey Team.

A jacket drops over Bitty's shivering shoulders, startling him. Jack takes a seat behind him and Bitty tries not to blush too hard when he thanks Jack for the coat. It's warm and it smells like him, a sporty deodorant and a mild cologne.

The presence of his friends surrounding him makes Bitty feel a warmth that the spring chill can't cut through. Shitty and Jack are graduation soon, but for now they're here. For a little while longer, Bitty lets himself have this.

He snuggles into the coat and lets him think for a short while "what if."

_X_

Graduation is a surreal experience. Four years passed in a flash, and it's finally over. He's standing there in his gown and cap wondering how it went by so fast yet so slow. He remembers moments, the best and the worst, even the mundane, and it took so many of them to make up his time at Samwell.

He doesn't know how to tell Bittle. He's been putting it off for so long that he doesn't know how to say the words. Should he tell Bittle before he leaves or should he wait? What if the timing isn't right?

It's his father that convinces him to finally confess to Bittle. You lose all the shots you don't take, and this isn't a shot he can risk missing. The longer he puts it off, the worse the cough will get, and he doesn't want to put Bittle through any more of this. It's been almost two years since they first met, and it's gotten to the point that Jack's cough keeps him up half the night. Bittle deserves to enjoy his time home instead of spending another summer wondering, getting sicker by the day.

Bittle is his soulmate, and he deserves the truth.

Jack runs back to the Haus as fast as he can, hoping he isn't too late. Bittle's supposed to leave campus soon and so is Jack so he doesn't have much time.

His hopes are crushed when he runs into Bittle's room and it is empty. He missed his chance; Bittle isn't there.

Then he hears a teary rendition of Beyoncé behind him in a voice he recognizes well. Of course he recognizes this song after the dozens of times he had to yell at Bittle in the morning to stop singing so loudly in the shower.

He turns, hope restored. There in Jack's old room, now passed down to Chowder through dibs, is Bitty. He's standing over the desk and going through one of Chowder's boxes.

Jack opens his mouth to speak, elated.

Flowers come out instead.

His anxiety has a way of making his soulmate cough worse, whether the anxiety comes from bad overwhelming emotions or good ones. Like when Kent visited last semester during Epikegster and Jack vomited peach blossoms at his feet. It's nearly the same spot.

The sound of him vomiting catches Bittle's attention. It's not ideal in the least, nowhere near romantic, but it'll make explaining easier.

Bittle turns to look at the sudden sound, and his eyes go wide in worry. He pulls out his headphones and puts them down. There's a water bottle on the desk, Jack must have forgotten it, and he hands it to Jack. Jack gulps it down, thankful to rinse the nasty taste of vomit and flowers from his mouth. While he drinks the water, Bittle walks out of the room. Jack only has a moment to panic and wonder if he ruined everything before Bittle returns with a roll of paper towels.

"Are you okay?" Bittle asks when Jack takes the paper towels from his hand.

"You're my soulmate," Jack blurts out. He'd meant to be more eloquent than this, but eloquence has never been one of his strengths.

Bittle's eyes widen again and he looks from Jack to the puddle of flowers that Jack is cleaning up.

"They're peach blossoms," Jack answers before Bittle gets the chance to ask. He walks out for just a minute to toss out the vomit towels in the bathroom, since that's the only trash can that's probably going to be cleared out before everyone leaves. When he comes back after being gone for less than a minute, Bitty is standing in the same place, still staring at the doorway.

<3

Peach blossoms.

It makes sense, when he thinks about the Canadian Echinacea. The fact that it's a Canadian flower should have been a dead giveaway, and the universe is probably laughing at him for being so dense. He should have known from the start.

All of the little gestures, the smiles and lending his coat and checking practice. Jack offered to take a selfie together at Epikegster after telling a hysterical story with the biggest smile on his face. Bitty should have known then.

"How long have you known?" he asks when he snaps out of his stupor. He can't quite look at Jack, not until he understands.

"I've known since the day we met," Jack confesses, "as soon as the first petal fell."

Bitty laughs at the absurdity of it, how Jack knew immediately whereas Bitty didn't know until he was told, and a few stray petals fall out.

Jack catches one of the falling petals in his hand and expects it, which Bitty finds really gross. They just fell out of his mouth and it's all spitty. Jack holds it like something precious anyway.

"Canadian echinacea?" Jack asks, though from his tone Bitty guesses that Jack already knows the answer. "Did you know?"

Bitty shakes his head, feeling more petals crawl their way up into his mouth. "I had no idea," he says on another laugh.

Their first kiss tastes like flowers and vomit, and it's pretty gross, but Jack's lips are warm like a freshly baked pie. As they smile and kiss and laugh, Bitty feels the flowers inside him die, and all of that energy swells up inside him.

They turn away at the same time to spit up petals, punctuating with a groan then a laugh. In their soulmate society, this technically constitutes as romantic, and it's ridiculous. Since when is vomit romantic?

"Maybe we should try kissing again after we brush our teeth," Bitty jokes. There are petals stuck in his teeth but he smiles anyway.

A phone beeps, ruining their weird but wonderful moment.

Jack reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, looking at the lit-up screen. "I need to go," he tells Bitty with a sad smile.

Bitty leans in for one last kiss. "Go, I can clean up."

Jack grabs him by the waist and pulls him in again, catching Bitty off guard. He kisses like his life depends on it, and it technically sort of does. Another year and their soulmate coughs would have gotten painful, and another year after that would have become deadly.

They're lucky to have found each other.

The phone beeps again and the two men pull away reluctantly.

"I'll text you," Jack says as his goodbye.

Bitty watches him go, sad that he needs to leave so soon, but excited for what the future has in store

_X_

Jack types as he runs, phone in his hand. He writes the message with a smile and hits send. No more waiting.

When his dad asks him how things went, Jack answers, "Horribly, and it was perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
